Welcome to my blog! Thanks for hopping with Stampin Friends this month as we work hard to make Father's Day important for the men in our lives. It's a bittersweet for me because my dad passed away over 20 years ago, but this year I was able to get inspired to make 3 different cards for my sweet husband-- one from our daughter (she consulted), one from me, and one from our new rescue dog!

First up, the card from my daughter... I saw this style of fancy fold and thought it was cool. I used the retired stamp set (you can still get it!!) Amazing Life and the retired Best Route DSP. I think I have finally learned how to make a masculine card!!!! What do you think?

Bella & Friends (also retiring... so sad) made the perfect card from our cockapoo/bichon rescue dog Boo. This is his first Father's Day in our house and he loves Jonathan so much! I had fun using the watercolor pencils to color him in and used a bit of Tranquil Textures DSP.

Finally, I wanted to showcase some of the new catalog items that you can get on June 4th! You will want to put the Good Man stamp set on your first order!! It makes the perfect Father's Day card-- at least for my husband, who loves to relax by the beach.

Check out our other hoppers this month and stay tuned because we are going to have SEVEN new hoppers next month from all across the world! EEEKKK! So exciting!

I had so much designing this cute notecard holder on my Tuesday at 2pm Facebook Live. Check out my recorded video here! This is a great way to use a 12x12 sheet of designer series paper. It would make a great Mother's Day gift, teacher appreciation gift (next week BTW), or gift to a new bride or mother-to-be that needs lots of thank you cards!

In this set I featured the retiring stamp set Petal Palette which I will miss so much! It has gorgeous images but my favorite part is the fonts of the sentiments-- and the sentiments themselves!

Here is the scoring guide for your sheet of paper...

If you would like the complete printable directions click here! And if you place an order by Sunday, May 5th using the hostess code

Thanks for joining the hop! Haven’t you loved the projects so far? This kit was easy to create with... The Distinktive stamps from Stampin’ Up! are so addictive- I just want to stamp them in every ink color!! But first the kit— which does have refills available. (Even if you didn’t get the full kit this month I would suggest subscribing and getting the refill because you can use the rose from Healing Hugs as a pretty good substitute!)

For all my alternative projects I wanted to play around with stuff from the retiring list from Stampin’ Up! This means that we have to say goodbye to these items so now is the time to grab them if you haven’t. The toughest thing for me to say goodbye to is the in-colors. I know we only get them for two years but I just didn’t mentally prepare myself to say goodbye. So for my card I used ALL the retiring in-colors. They are meant to work together but honestly this is the best I’ve seen them play together! (I added a touch of retiring Berry Burst metallic edged ribbon!)

For my 3D project I thought it would be cool to stamp directly on the retiring gold Striped Treat Bags! What is neat is that the gold resists the ink so you get a cool effect! My mom has asked for cards to give to the ladies that she works with at Senior Companions. She visits and assists these ladies who are older than her on a weekly basis and she’s grown quite attached to them (and vice versa)! I wanted to send her the cards in this cute bag so she knows I love her and I see her heart.

I am so excited you are here on the hop with us! I had the pleasure of presenting at Stampin' Up!'s convention (called OnStage) last weekend and a few of the projects I made for the display boards are perfect for Mother's Day! I was given a new stamp set (called Daisy Lane) and a medium Daisy punch to play with and here is what I made...

The card is a fancy fold with a Pear Pizzaz base and it uses some of the White Polka Dot tulle ribbon! So soft and pretty!

Here are the steps to creating this fancy fold card using the tag topper punch.

I then stamped the stem on the front, the fern looking leaves and a sentiment on the inside-- all in Mossy Meadow, and stamped and punched the daisy petals in Memento ink and colored them with my Blend markers.

For one of my 3D projects I wanted to create a Texas rustic look, so I created the look of denim by sponging Blueberry Bushel on a pizza box, then used markers to create the look of a Indian Blanket wildflower.

For this box I took it apart at the seam with the help of my heat gun, punched the large daisy, stamped a piece of cardstock to back it, and then glued it all back together again. I love using the Well Written dies with this set-- I think this box will be terrific for my mom! She will love opening a box and seeing this in it!

Don't forget to keep hopping around!!! We have some wonderful projects planned for you...

And if you comment below I will enter you into a drawing to get the three cards I showcased this weekend at OnStage-- featured on my blog post here!

What a wonderful weekend we demonstrators had! We got to preview the new annual catalog (coming out to customers on June 4th) at OnStage and even make a few items with new catalog items-- plus win prize patrol, learn important business information, and meet 850+ other demonstrator friends!!

An obvious highlight for me was presenting to these new friends... My friend Crystal got a great picture of the crowd that was there to give some perspective.

Here are some shots of me presenting-- it was so fun! I can't believe they gave me 30 minutes to talk about product based classes using the Daisy Lane Stamp set, which everyone got in their bags!

I had so much fun creating with this set-- it features a new coordinating Medium Daisy punch but also coordinates with the existing Large Daisy punch! I didn't have the older set but I am in love with the detail on this and coloring them with Blender Pens, Blend markers, or Watercolor Pencils was so fun!!

And for those of you who saw me present last weekend thank you for your kind words and laughter! Make sure to connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

And stay tuned because next Monday I will post the 3D items and scrapbook page I made with this same set and punch combo! It's a great deal at only $35!

And for those of you who want to see what all the hoopla is about-- I will be sharing samples from the new catalog and all the fun stuff we got at my Tuesday at 2pm at Facebook Live!

Don't forget to keep hopping around the blog hop to see more incredible new products and projects coming in the new catalog on June 4th! Plus, if you comment on this post then I will enter you into a drawing to win the three cards I stamped ON STAGE! How fun is that?

Welcome to the Stampin' Friends Blog Hop! Sorry I didn't hop last month but I am so excited to be hopping this month! This month's theme is pastels which is wonderful since spring is here!! I saw a gorgeous swallowtail butterfly on our fruit trees yesterday. Check out my Instagram to keep up with my stamping and nature wanderings...

For now, I am swamped planning for my Charleston beach retreat this weekend-- stay tuned for more details... so I needed something quick. I had Easter on the brain.... but I was using the Incredible Like You kit. I felt the colors were pastel (Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Grapefruit Grove, and Lovely Lipstick) and I knew an easy change could make a cute Easter card.

If you take the Grapefruit Grove striped circle and trim it into an egg shape it works- right??

Then I took the envelope and ripped it up and trimmed the piece so that I could make a tiny cracker container with the envelope punch board. I found the Easter Blessings sentiment in the Itty Bitty Greetings stamp set and stamped it in Coastal Cabana. I used the grapefruit grove twine included in the kit.

And I punched a window in the front with the Classic Label Punch and sealed it with a Window Sheet. I put a couple of those tasty chocolate eggs in there and now I've got a cute treat for Marianne!

I can't wait to see what others are doing with pastel colors... Wishing you a happy spring!! Don't forget to keep hopping along down below...

Welcome to another month of awesome Paper Pumpkin creativity! I am so excited to be hopping this month with this great line-up of crafty men and women. This month's kit was so pretty that I didn't want to cut any of the pieces up...

The contents are awesome and make nine full sized cards! But the star of the show is the stamp set!!!! I couldn't wait to create with it... And since I didn't want to cut the card fronts apart...

I knew that I wanted to feature the succulent paper from the new Painted Seasons (which you can get for FREE with a qualifying order right now)!

This allowed me to highlight some of the lesser colors in the Paper Pumpkin kit (Pool Party and Lemon Lime Twist). So... here are the two projects this month from me...

I was excited to take one of our notecards and then punch a small piece of the succulent paper from the kit... I then heat embossed the sentiment in white and added a touch of the Reversible Ribbon in Coastal Cabana and Granny Apple Green. Coordinates pretty well I think!

But this tea bag holder is my favorite! It takes just one 6x6 piece of DSP folded to make two pockets for two tea bags (or chocolates)! I took the stamp and cut it (gasp!) so that I could stamp "Life is tough" inside the teacup and then the "but so are you" on a piece punched with the Classic Label Punch and then trimmed...

If you don't subscribe already, then you should by March 10th! This next month features not one, but TWO stamp sets, to celebrate Paper Pumpkin's 6th birthday! It will make EIGHT full sized cards and is said to have an element that will "pop"-- plus gorgeous colors of Basic Black, Bemuda Bay, Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo, and Poppy Parade! Subscribe here!

Please make sure to comment below and let me know if you love my projects! Also... keep hopping along to see what everyone has created! This is a first-class group of creatives!

Welcome to my blog! I am excited you are hopping with us this month as we explore alternative projects with January's Be Mine Valentine kit! Thanks for coming over from Tiffany's blog and make sure to keep hopping. Feel free to pin our projects and leave comments so we feel the LOVE too!

​This month's kit was adorable and perfectly timed as we always need cute treats for my daughter's class. No ugly store bought Valentine's for us-- she loves making and giving Paper Pumpkin Valentine's each year! But this kit had tons of extras so I had fun playing with them...

First up was my card... I knew the minute I saw the kangaroo that I wanted to tuck that heart into her pouch to welcome a new baby! So I used my Paper Trimmer to make a small slit, tucked the heart in with a bit of Snail adhesive, and then mounted her on a wobble spring so she jumps-- just like a real kangaroo! (See below for a link to get your own wobble springs.) Check out my Instagram here to see a video of the Kangaroo in action!

I tired to keep the card monochromatic so I flipped the Pool Party scalloped circle over and stamped the sentiment welcoming a new baby from the coordinating stamp set Animal Outing. A touch of that gorgeous Leaf Ribbon and this notecard is good to go! Well, plus a little stamping on the envelope....

Now treat packaging is extra challenging when the kit is treat packaging... But I wanted to try my hand at a slider container- so I trimmed the top and bottom curved portions off of a pillow box and then Snailed it on two sides to make a flat pouch. (I also bone folded the bottom and top creases to make it not so noticeable.) I punched a hole through the open end and then ran some White Classic Weave ribbon through it. Then I tucked my flat treat in there (mine was Target Dollar Spot Sticky Sand but a small Hershey's bar would fit nice too or a tea bag). Then I tied a knot at the top and voila-- slider package!

Plus, my favorite sentiment from the whole set-- I am a child of the 1990's! And another Pool Party piece from the kit flipped to the white side and stamped on. Plus two of those ADORABLE enamel hearts!

Again, many thanks for stopping by! Please keep hopping through all of us-- what a wonderful set of creators this month! So much inspiration!

Welcome to our first blog hop of 2019! We always start the year off with an ode to Valentine's day and this year is no different. I do appreciate that we made this one "all about love" since Valentine's Day isn't my favorite holiday. I know... shocking. I am teaching a class at the Senior Center this Friday and they don't want to make Valentine's either... so I needed a simple project to take to them that expresses love but isn't Valentine's specific. I felt this One Sheet Wonder was just the ticket...

The card is made from a sheet that is 12 x 5 1/2 inches. It is scored on the long side at 4 1/4 and 8 1/4. The front panel is 2 3/4 by 3 3/4 for the Whisper White piece and 3 by 4 for the Lovely Lipstick piece. I used a scrap from the next project to make the flap piece on the envelope. (There is also an inside panel that I stamped pretty basically but it adds some bulk to the inside.) I love the Incredible Like You stamp set-- the sentiments are amazing, the fonts are pretty (love a good mixed font) and I love the two step stamping with the flower!

The project this month is a 2, 4, 6, 8, bag-- where you take the remaining piece of DSP and trim the long side to 9 1/2 inches. Score at 2, 4, 6, and 8 inches. Score at 2 inches from the bottom and then cut out the bottom right corner. I used the Strong & Beautiful stamp set to stamp the sentiment in Lovely Lipstick. I really love that sentiment. And the All My Love Ribbon pack is so nice.... It finishes off the project just right!

Here is another view that really highlights how pretty this DSP is. Even for a Valentine's grump like me-- it's so pretty. The Balmy Blue and Soft Sea Foam add such a nice touch to the neutral crumb cake and bright pinks!

Hope you loved these projects! I can't wait to see what Cheryl had in store for us-- so keep hopping!!

It has been a quiet couple of weeks here from me as we wind the year down and enjoy family time. I hope that you have enjoyed your holidays and that 2019 is a happy and healthy one for you and your loved ones!

I want to highlight some of my favorite blog posts from this past year! These 10 posts should inspire you to bust out those supplies this week and hopefully get you warmed up for Sale-a-bration and the new spring Occasions Catalog coming Thursday!!

On Thursday, January 3rd you will have the chance to purchase from the new Spring Occasions Catalog AND get FREE Sale-a-bration item for every $50 you spend! This is a great time to get your pre-paid Paper Pumpkin subscription (BTW)!

Sale-a-bration is also a wonderful time to host a party! You can earn $25 extra on top of your normal party earnings when your party reaches $250. I would love to help you host a successful event-- so contact me for the few open dates I have this spring!

And finally, the last way to make the most out of Sale-a-bration is to join my team! When you purchase the starter kit you get $175 worth of product for only $99!! That's insane! Now, if you love the look of the Craft & Carry Tote below (I love mine!) then you can add that for just $30.